To Cherish
by Sonnenfrost
Summary: Sometimes, you have to make decisions. You may not like them, but only time can tell whether they were made correct. This time its Yuuri who decides that the time for running away has ended. Wolfyuu-pairing - yaoi, mpreg - ON HIATUS for now
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to my own KKM-fic. My story begins after the last season, so after the mess with Sara and the boxes and so on. The story will probably a little longer than most of this series. That said please enjoy this story to your fullest! And don't forget: Reviews only take a minute and make authors very happy!

**Warnings: **This is a Yaoi story of pure fiction. It has **m**ature content. This means that some of the scenes are graphic and part of the plot might not be suited to some people. You will find here Mpreg, as well as unBetaed text passages. This is a Wolfram/Yuuri pairing, as in male/male, or yaoi pairing or whatever you wish to call it. If you do not like this genre than please return to the story outlines. And no flames if there is no reason. Critics on the other hand are more than welcome!

**Disclaimer:** I make no money with this story and I do not own Kyou Kara Maou or any of the original characters. I take only credit for the new individuals as well as the plot.

**Chapter 1: For the better**

It was a hot summer day. Well, he should have expected it. It was July and his 16th birthday was just around the corner. Already it was time for him to choose his future. Yuuri exhaled barely audible. Nervousness was slowly starting to rise in his body. His gaze left the documents his hand hovered over. His pitch-black eyes restlessly took in his study before wandering back to the documents. The papers seemed to mock him, no matter how many times he tried to read it, its context still eluded him. With a small groan the young king stood up and stretched to get rid of all the kinks in his body. Leisurely he went to search for his time-table which was probably hidden somewhere within the piles of papers next to him. The Soukukou searched and once his hands closed around the thick portfolio he left the study, he had already occupied for ours. The moment he was in the hallway his feet gained a mind of their own and headed to the garden.

He bypassed various guards, chefs and maids, but no Wolfram and no Greta. Both were out of the castle and without either of them around things tended to be a little to calm. The double-black started to feel lonely. Such an emotion was strange for someone who lived in a castle where privacy was a luxury which should be savoured; but right now he would prefer to have them back.

Greta went (together with some guards) to the little princess Beatrice he had met on the ship hijacked by pirates. The brown haired girl insisted that she was old enough to travel without being supervised, but at least the troubled fathers were able to coax the girl to take guards along. Yuuri was still amazed at how swift his little girl had started to mature. She had started to grow and it would not be before long that his 'little girl' would turn to a fine lady. He already dreaded 'The Talk', he would surely have to give her quite soon. Inwardly he recoiled at this idea but from the outside he just looked exhausted and tired, but happy nonetheless. His thoughts drifted from his daughter to his fiancé, who was currently tormenting his troops in some military exercise for fire-fighting measures. The blonde definitely was having a blast, of that the maou had no doubt.

The hallway brightened and with small steps he advanced into the green paradise that was the castle garden. The torrid sun hardly had any effect around this place, so it had become a retreat for many who worked and resided in the castle. The air was heavy with the scents of hundreds of flowers in full bloom and the lush green of the trees invited those that came by to rest under their treetop. The double-black only hesitated for a short moment before plopping himself down onto the soft grass with his back resting against a trunk. He placed the folder into his lap and started to flap through the pages.

Tomorrow he would be sixteen and the laws of Shin Makoku stated that at that age children stepped in front of a council to announce their course of future. Normally it wasn't such a great deal, as it was only an old ritual to show that the children were one step closer to adulthood and maturity. Nothing more than an old custom making the children start to think for themselves and to make decisions. Normally, but his case was expectedly not normal.

His case was a little different. Mozoku-children had with sixteen years the mind and appearance of seven-year-olds. Whereas he as a mixed-blood aged like an average human up to his sixteenth birthday. For half-bloods this day was indeed a day of fate. On this day mixed-bloods decided whether they wanted to live with humans or demons. Just one more night and he would announce in which culture he would live from now on. The half-blood already knew which path he wanted to follow, but still … somehow he could hardly wait till everything was over and done with.

Yuuris eyes followed some shiny bugs on the ground. The young king's mind was blank and the 'reading' lay forgotten in his hands. He had worked hard for the past months. Very hard. He had considerably paid attention to the customs and magic lessons. He wanted to be a great king for his subjects and especially for his friends, his family. The Soukokou had long since realized where he belonged, but he was a little scared to take this last step. Now if only-

"Your majesty! Why are you sitting so far offside?" Conrart asked surprised as he strode over to the young monarch. "Soldier, you do remember my name, don't you?" Yuuri asked with mock anger. The gentle man chuckled then sat down next to his god-son.

"Yuuri, what happened? I thought you would barricade yourself in your study just like the last days. Seeing you like this surprises me. But it is a nice surprise for sure." the man said smiling. Yuuri returned the smile to his godfather "Actually it was my intention to do just that, but I am too nervous to sit still for a long time. So here I am, trying desperately to gather my wits. Say … Conrad, you as a half-Mazoku yourself are probably able to tell me more about how the 'Ceremony of Maturity' takes place. … Is it really true that I have to drink poison?!" the nervous king blurted out. His eyes darted to the older male, while his hands fisted in his lap. Conrad's eyes widened at these words and he scanned the tense and rigid form of the dark-haired male when he spoke softly "Your majesty, the ceremony is uncomfortable, yes. But it is not dangerous. And to come back to your question. Yes, you will drink a unique poison - if you choose to stay with the demon tribe that is. The poison does not endanger your life; it will affect your demon blood and strengthen it until it is comparable to the blood of a normal Mazoku. The only difference noticeable is that you will age like a normal demon." The soldier reached over and squeezed the young king's shoulder. "Being nervous is normal, back then I felt like fainting. Thinking back it was scary, no terrifying, but now I can grow old together with my family and for that I am grateful." Conrad whispered to his king. Then he petted the younger's upper arm and rose to give his king some time to brood over his words.

The Soukukou had listened intently to the other's words. He had read all books and scrolls available, which even mentioned the 'Ceremony of Maturity' in some corner, but he still thought he missed something important. He knew that Conrad was originally younger than Wolfram, but had aged like a human until the ceremony. The poison called 'Second life' not only strengthened the demonic blood (and made it undermine part of the human blood for that matter), it had various side effects. One of these effects was that a half-blood who had magical talent got more control of it and this was something the young king looked forward to.

His body relaxed against the bark and he flipped once more through the pages of his curriculum. Now that Gwendal focused on his original work, the double-black had started to write his schedule down to not miss anything important. He had finished various projects of his that needed immediate attention. The school system was newly adapted, with some new subjects and new time settings for the older ones. Then he had recently finished some disputes between local citizens and even two nobles. As expected the 'commoners' tended to behave a little better than 'their betters' when it came down to conflicts within family. And last but not least he had made certain that Anissina did not kill his advisors in one of her crazy experiments.

The Soukukou had searched in his world for various methods to gain energy and had decided to take wind and water energy to this world. Both power sources were clean and plentiful in these lands. Luckily the researcher had latched onto his proposition and he was convinced he had seen both Günther and Gwendal with tears in their eyes. Both men had shown in their own way their gratitude: Gwendal had knitted a really cute white lion for him – or maybe it was a white tortoise; while Günther had tried to squeeze the life out of his king.

Granted, it was still dreams of the future and it would take some time to construct these mils, but in the future, they would be great additions. Besides, as long as Anissina was busy with the construction-books, manuals and his notes of windmills and water wheels, as well as various architects he would not have to worry about his castle being blown up.

There was only one more matter to attend. It was about time to knit the loose ends of his and Wolframs engagement together. Yuuri put his schedule back down into his lap. Closing it definitive for the day. He could feel his heart skip a beat and his stomach twist in guilt. His fingers dropped from his lap and gripped onto the grass like he needed its support as his thoughts went downhill. Even now, he could not forget the tears the proud blond had shed because of him. He could not forget the face Wolfram had made when he had stepped into his world. It hurts. It hurts so bad to think that he was the reason for the other male's sadness. He was a king, a monarch who had vowed to care for and protect those under his rule and yet his best friend had suffered. He had cried because of him. This day may have been the harshest he had dumped onto his friend, but it was not the first time his actions had caused him grief. His constant rejections and his open denial of their engagement must have hurt him deeply. There was also another topic he needed to take into account.

Rumours were floating in the city. Rumours about him and his best friend. People started to wonder and even bet whether the engagement would be broken, as there were little to no incantations for it to even exist in the first place. Up till now the gossip was kept at bay as he was still underage, but with his birthday approaching things looked completely differently. Soon he would be in the right age to take a mate and man and woman alike would try to court him.

He would go through with his plan. Not only could he secure Wolfram's happiness, but he would also be able to evade a social event with him as a prize. Yes, it was right and it was long overdue. This night he will ask the fire-user, no matter how difficult it would turn out to be. Or how discomforting or embarrassing things would turn out for him.

- Evening at the castle -

After the young king had made up his mind the day seemed to just fly by. One moment he was sitting under a tree to relax, the next he was in his bathroom to get ready for the night. Supper went by so fast that he refused to believe he had actually attended it. Not to mention he felt kind of sick. Whether it was from nervousness or from food-poisoning the double-black was not certain, but he trusted his chef, so only the first option remained open. But still … what the hell had he eaten? Or better 'when'? Yuuri sighed once more that day. The coal eyes wandered down to his shaking hands. In fact his entire body was shaking terribly. For a short moment the maou wondered if he had already been trembling the entire day. He hoped intently this was not the case. Wolfram had just returned and was already lying in their bed, reading some book before calling it a night. Up to now he had no opportunity to talk with the fiery blond in private, but now he would do it. He had to; his friend's happiness depended on it. With new determination the king dried his body of and put on his light-blue pyjamas.

He left the bathroom and eyed his distracted fiancé. Up to now the Mazoku was calm and composed. Not exactly normal for the temperamental boy, but the double-black would just chalk it up as a nice outcome from today's training session. The younger clenched his hands and dug his nails in his palm as he made it over to the bed. Each step seemed to fuel his heartbeat and his trembling increased just as swift. Luckily Wolfram's attention was still focused entirely on the book in his hands so at least the young king had a few moments to gather his courage before taking action. The almost sixteen-year old took a deep breath and climbed onto the bed towards his oblivious betrothed.

The moment Wolfram felt the bed dip he turned his green eyes to the other and ranted with a tired voice "About time you made it out of the bathroom. I already considered asking the maids and guards to drag you out."

The king stilled at this and then smiled sheepishly at the blond when he answered the unspoken question "I needed to gather myself. Believe me, it is far more difficult than one would believe." With these words the dark haired boy made his way to the curious blond. Wolfram lifted an elegant eyebrow at him and put his book to the side, as he propped himself up on his elbows. The dull eyes cleared and the fire returned to the tired orbs of green.

"Alright, wimp. What is going on? I did not ask before but now I do. Why are you shaking so bad and for what in Shinou's name do you need to get your courage together? Did something happen?" the blond demanded to know. His hands came up and grabbed the other on his shoulders keeping him in place, while his eyes searched his face. Yuuri smiled at the worried expression of the other. This was something that he had come to like and to count on: Wolfram's protectiveness.

With the familiar sight in front of him he plopped himself down on his legs, right in front of the wary blond. He could and he would do it. The Soukokou said nervously "Nothing happened. At least as of yet." And with these words he raised his shaking left hand. With a quick movement he slapped Wolfram lightly on his left cheek.

The blonds head snapped to the side and for a moment there was utter silence, then Wolfram's face turned back to Yuuri. His eyes were huge when he stammered "Yuuri! You; you do know what you have just done, do you?!" Over the blonds face rushed myriads of feelings, but the double-black could make out some of them. The fire-Mazoku looked shocked, happy as well as confused. Yuuri was perplexed at the emotional display, for he did not know that it was even physical possible to show so many emotions all at once. He shook his head, shooing these unwanted thoughts out of the window. The younger leaned forward and his hands glowed in a gentle blue light when he placed it on the other's abused cheek. The words left him before he even realized he had spoken them "Sorry Wolf. I did not hurt you, did I?" Wolfram was obviously flabbergasted. He leaned out of the cooling touch of the healing magic and grabbed the healer's hand when he pulled him to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around the other and growled softly "I asked you, you damn wimp, if you know this time what this gesture meant?! Yuuri, please answer me!"

The dark-haired male looked at the hand holding his and his gaze followed the arm over the attached body until it landed on the other's face. Yuuri felt his face warm up as he whispered with a small, yet strong voice "Yes. I know what it means. Just now I have proposed to you, just like I did back then by accident, but this time it is serious. It is no accident. And I … I … I want you to return it to me." Yuuri added a little timid, then his face flushed brightly and he spouted hurriedly "That means if you … well, still want to be with me. I … I want you by my side. For as long as possible." The younger started to feel faint from all the blood that seemed to leave his head.

The grip wandered on the younger's shoulder where it tightened. Wolfram leaned in and placed his forehead against the others. He looked calm, eerily calm for his standard, but Yuuri could feel the tension in him. Every pore gave of a feeling anxiousness. The blond spoke softly "This feels like a dream. I'm probably still asleep right now. Tell me, why now of all times? And why me? I thought, well …" His sentence trailed off and floated unfinished between them. Yuuri did not need to be told what he had wanted to say. His memory was not lacking, he knew his own excuses.

If possible the Soukukou blushed even more but answered nonetheless. His voice was soft but strong as he slowly said "No, you are not asleep. I made certain you were awake when I hit you, remember?" he gave a small laugh with that statement and then continued "It is very difficult to face someone when it's about involved feelings. Additionally I am still fifteen, not exactly an age where you have tons of experience when it comes to matters of the heart. And … Well … It took me a while, before I could gather enough courage to tell you this." After this sentence Yuuri paused. His eyes slid close and he placed his free hand on Wolframs chest. The racing beat he felt beneath his finger tips was soothing in some way. When he opened them again he looked into emerald pools staring intently in his eyes. Yuuri gave a small smile and continued "I want you by my side. I trust and cherish you more than anyone else. If I … Having you around has become natural to me, if you are missing everything feels wrong. You are like air to me, Wolfram without you I feel like I am suffocating. … This feeling, it was so potent back then when your heart was stolen; I …" the sentence broke and the double-black started to shiver as he remembered that one incident.

Wolfram's eyes teared up a little. His hands wandered from the shoulders downwards and snaked around the others waist. With a sudden pull he had his fiancé's body pressed against his, forcing the other almost on his lap. He squeezed a little tighter, calming the distressed male. Wolfram smiled. The blond took his hands of the other male and took some distance. He lifted his hand and caressed Yuuri's right cheek before he strike out a little and then slapped the other. A short moment later he leaned over and said right into the other's ear "I accept, Yuuri. Thank you; you cannot imagine how much this means to me!" Wolfram whispered passionately. His eyes blazed and shone in serene happiness when they focused back at his face. A small blush coloured his otherwise pale features.

The next moment the mixed-blood was tackled in a hug, making him yelp in shock and surprise. Both lost their balance as they fell backwards into the blankets and cushions. Yuuri squirmed a little at the sudden shift of position, but he calmed a little when he saw that Wolfram was still holding him tightly to his person. He also realized that he would not be given any room for himself this night. So he stopped all movements and slumped in the others arms. The ex-prince cuddled into him and placed his nose into the other's neck, basking in the others scent and warmth. Both were silent. It was not an awkward silence. Just a quite night and an enjoyable moment between two people close to each other. Not so much later Wolfram fell asleep. His grip around his fiancé's waist never faltering and his body never shifting. Actually it was the first time for the double-black to share his bed with the other man and to not get kicked around.

Yuuri looked calmly at Wolfram's face and a smile lit up his face. It might have been difficult in the past and it would be strange to try a relationship, but just the smile on the other's face made every worry, each small doubt and all concerns seem inanely and distant. No matter what, he would protect the smiles of those he loved. And as for his feelings for Wolfram … he had not lied when he told him that he trusted and cherished him. He could learn to love him as much as he deserved and he will do so. The first step was taken, now they would wait and see just how far both of them would make it.

With this last thought ghosting in the back of his mind the king placed his head onto the cushion. Waiting for a small eternity before sleep claimed him as well.

- A.N -

A rather emotional chapter don't you agree? Personally I think that Yuuri would marry Wolf no matter how much you turned and twisted the story. He just wants to make the people around him happy and it is also a great way to show his political affiliation to the Mazoku. Think about it, Yuuri has Susanna's soul and she died while trying to serve her people and friends. And marrying your trusted friend is not even half as harsh as dying in a lazaretto on some battlefield, so I think that I got his character rather nicely.

The 'Ceremony of Maturity' was mentioned in the manga. I do not recall its real name, but on that day Mazoku who reached a certain age were brought in front of the council, where they stated what they intended to do with their life. I decided to take it into my story for various reasons. One of them is that I needed an event in which Yuuri's life span is accommodated to that normal demons.

Normally half-bloods only last half as long as full-bloods, but in the anime you saw various scenes with Conrad when he met Yuuri's parents. About sixteen years before the actual anime. He hardly if anything aged at all! So I decided that there has to be a reason, how someone can outgrow (or better 'outage') his older brother, yet does not age drastically at a later time. How do you like my solution?

I won't be able to update weekly, but I will definitely finish my story and I will continue writing as often as my work allows it.

Until next time, folks!


	2. Chapter 2

It is always difficult to start something new, as the first chapter tips the scale whether people continue reading or drop a story. I am glad you like the beginning and I feel flattered by your reviews even if there is hardly any ground to form a comment on – at least up till now. With no further delay here comes the new chapter.

**Chapter 2: Second Life**

It was still quite dark in the room, but the oppressive heat did not relent in the slightest. Not even at night people were able to relax for once. For days on end Shin Makoku had been enduring an almost tropical climate. Yuuri woke up and groaned at the ridiculous temperature in the royal quarters, he groggily tried to rise. He could feel his clothes cling to his skin and he felt his hair glued to his forehead and neck. There was also something even warmer pressed against his back. Surprised the double-black tilted his body to the side, only to be held firmly in place by something around his middle. With some difficulties he tilted his upper body around to look at his captor and his eyes grew at the sight they had landed on.

A familiar blonde Mazoku was almost wrapped around the dark-haired male and snored lightly. Only now he could feel the others legs tangled with his own, or the others face close to the skin of his neck. Yuuri froze. It was one thing to share your bed with your friend, but to have said friend practically on him, was a little shocking. The younger mulled over the position until he remembered what had transpired the last night. Then he grew slumped in embarrassment and reassurance.

He had done it. Finally he had had the guts to do what was necessary. A small voice in the back of his head whispered if this was indeed right, but the offending sound was silenced when he heard Wolf mumble incoherent things. He recalled just how happy the other had been. The blonds smile had been bright. So very vivid. Besides he himself was no longer appalled by the thought of being married to the other male. Yes, he was still uncomfortable and he would probably freak out at a later time but nevertheless "Wolfram is worth it. All of it." the young king murmured. His voice hardly more than a whisper in the wind. His eyes went over the sleeping figure and landed on his still slightly swollen cheek. Yuuri blushed lightly at the memory. He twisted one of his hands free and placed it on the others cheek, healing what he had caused. Afterwards he relaxed his body further in the hold and slipped back into sleep.

He would be in dire need of it today.

The next thing he knew he was hauled up in the air. Still half wrapped in the blankets and thrown over a shoulder, which seemed to move at a quick rate. The Soukukou snapped his eyes open and shouted in confusion "Wh-What the? Place me back on my feet!", his form started to struggle for freedom.

"Silence wimp! We have overslept and YOU will be late to YOUR ceremony if YOU don't hurry!" the voice of his bed-mate shouted breathlessly. The young king immediately caught onto the words thrown up to him "What do you mean? Exactly what time is it?! No wait, before answering, put me down! I'm wide awake now and my legs are just fine!" the young king ordered. Additionally he shifted his weight to make it more difficult for the soldier to hold him. And wonder of wonders the temperamental brat actually listened to his betrothed for once and allowed the other to place his feet back to the solid ground.

As Yuuri straightened himself up he noticed at first that he was in the bathroom. Secondly that clothes, towels and bathing tools were thrown at him from the direction of Wolfram and lastly that said fiancé was undressing himself while doing so. "Wolfram! Why are you stripping?!" the young king shouted in embarrassment. He turned quickly his red face away from his intended and turned it to the steaming bath, trying to calm his beating heart. "I am NOT stripping, you pervert! I am CHANGING and now get in the water! We have barely half an hour before we have to be at the stables or we won't make it without making a scene!" the fire-Mazoku blustered loudly.

Yuuri nodded to himself and hastily followed the others 'advice'. Once in the water he hurriedly cleaned himself up, while keeping his eyes at less dangerous things than his energetic betrothed. When he heard Wolf enter the bath behind him the younger stilled for a short moment in embarrassment then hastily continued with his task. "Oi Yuri, shall I take care of your back?" Wolfram asked carefully. The double-black suppressed the 'No' with much effort at the last second. He and the blond were now an item, right? So there was only one answer "S-Sure, Wolf. Afterwards I will return the favour." He could hear the water splash as the other came over to his side. "That's right. You better do." Wolf said gruffly, but Yuuri could hear the smile in the others voice and exhaled the breath he had unknowingly held.

When a flannel connected with his skin he could feel his body shudder slightly against the gentle touch. The touch was both careful and thorough, making the monarch nervous and a little jumpy. What a way to begin a real relationship; right in the beginning of the first day a shared bath. To hide his nervousness he absentmindedly continued the routine as he questioned the other "When are we going to tell the others about what had transpired last night between us." The other moved the cloth once more over the whole of his back and turned away from him with the words "Your turn." When settled he answered "better sooner than later. Or we will get flooded in marriage proposals and 'chance-visits' from various other nobles." Yuuri nodded then proposed "How about today? When we have enough high-ranking witnesses around, I will initiate the custom just like I did yesterday." As he said this he took the cloth and moved it over the others smooth back with slow but firm movements. His eyes always following unbelieving the cloth and roamed over the trained white back he was working on. To his surprise he felt the older male shiver at his action. Maybe he was not the only one who was overwhelmed by the sudden change of their relationship, maybe-

"Alright, that's enough" the brat signalled himself. Standing up with no fanfare and scaring the dark haired-male to death, he made his way out of the water. Yuri gritted his teeth to control his reaction. Almost he had thought that the older one actually had a shy spot around him. But that was just as likely as having bad-omen birds sitting with the ten-nobles at the dining table. With a shrug he waited until he heard Wolframs steps quieten, before he left the bath to get ready for his ceremony.

About five minutes later the royal couple rushed down the hall, along with Cheri-sama and her other two sons, as well as Günther and surprisingly Anissina. The duo was immediately seized by the older ones and almost hauled along. Yuuri allowed the treatment for a moment. Then he shifted his gaze and remembered what he had put forward in the bathing chamber. He counted in his mind the number of nobles surrounding him before he freed himself with a quick movement. He straightened himself stiffly and said as normal as he could manage "Before we leave, there is something that all of you need to know. Last night I … well I proposed to Wolfram and he accepted my request and returned it to me. And … and before we continue I would like to have your as our witnesses as we repeat the custom for the protocol." The king finished lightly nervous.

His words followed utter silence. The demons gave no sound but from their faces the Soukukou could make out their feelings and reactions. Yuuri quickly averted his eyes. Repeating the custom was one thing, doing it while facing his entire social circle was a completely different matter. Luckily this would be easier as he would not have to talk so much unlike the evening before.

The monarch turned towards his betrothed and asked "May I?" The blond smiled and said simply "Of course, Yuuri." Then the one spoken to reached out and hit the blonds left cheek with his palm. The prince stumbled a little backwards then caught himself and stepped back to the dark-haired youngster. Still with a slightly red face the blond lifted his left hand and hit with it the others right cheek. Returning the vow by an act of an ancient tradition. The by standing nobles were shock-silent and immobile as they watched what was unfolding before them. Yuuri could hear faintly some gasps as he composed himself.

Then from one moment to the next the people finally acted. "Oh, Wolfram! I am so happy for you! I knew you two would make it to this point one day. Congratulation you two!" Cheri-same shouted in a war cry, as she raced to her son. The busty woman was within seconds next to her youngest and smothered the life out of him. Wolfram made an attempt to say something as the older jumped him, but was silenced in the death-grip. Yuuri could see Gwendal smiling and when the stern man saw that he was being watched he gave a light bow to the king and went to his suffocating little brother. Günther on the other hand did not look happy. In fact the eccentric Mazoku was busy bawling his eyes out and throwing himself at whoever dared to come too close to complain to them about his choice. The double-black averted hastily his eyes before the man remembered that the reason for his fit was only few meters away from him. His gaze wandered a moment before it rested on yet another eccentric being, who was congratulating loudly that 'they have taken their time', that 'it was a great surprise' and that she now needed to test an invention named 'make-the-sky-sparkle-kun' to prepare it for the wedding. The double-black had at these words a vision of a blazing sky and mass panic among his subjects, and darted away from the approaching Corart to the female to distract her with some, hopefully harmless minor inventions.

While talking the red-head out of her (possible lethal) plans the young king was grabbed from behind and pulled into a bear hug by his to be mother-in-law. "Your majesty! Welcome in our little family!" Chery cooed at the young man, who tried desperately to get some distance between his head and her breasts. While trying to avoid the inevitable, he saw in shock that Wolfram was still in her grip and was starting to turn blue as he struggled for air. The young king yelled "Please Cheri-sama, let us go! We are in quite a rush and can celebrate once the ceremony is over. Now we need to get to the carriages." The ex-queen stilled for a moment still smiling down at the two youngsters stuck to her body, as she gave her agreement. The next moment both men were hustled outside, to the waiting carriages. The group, less Günther and Anissina, split up and boarded the waiting vehicles. Gwendal, his mother and a beaming Wolfram took one carriage, while Yuuri and his god-father and soon brother-in-law took the other one. The moment the door closed behind them the horses were given a signal and the carriages charged into the direction of the city parliament.

Yuuri barely managed to throw himself onto his seat before the vehicle made a sharp left. Seated, he looked at Conrart, who still smiled at him but it seemed a little forced. The soldier directed his eyes at the window and stated "Yuuri, what happened to make you change your mind? You know, I love my brother and I like and trust you, but I am not certain both of you are ready for this step." The man shifted his gaze and continued "Are you sure you know what you are doing? I do not want to see you two hurting each other. I fear that right now, you push this too far too soon." His voice was gentle and warm, yet Yuuri could hear the worry clearly out of it.

For a moment there was no noise. Yuuri couldn't help but smile as he said "You are wrong Conrad. I may not love him the way he does me and not this intense, but he is precious and dear to me. All I want is his happiness; it is why I made this decision. Originally I wanted to do this about a month ago. But, well … Now, finally I do the right thing." The young monarch made a pause then continued "Have you seen Wolfram's face when we repeated the custom to make it official? I don't think there has ever been another man under the sun whose smile was as bright as his at that moment. No Conrad, it's not a mistake. Besides, having Wolf around does no longer feel as wrong as it did back then. People change, Conrad. I am convinced I can learn to love him as much as he deserves to be loved." The young king finished his speech and for once seemed very comfortable about the situation. Or at least less embarrassed.

The brown haired man was clearly taken aback and for once he lost his smile, before it returned. This time it was a real smile, no grimace as before. Conrart declared "If you say it like this, I will accept it and I will support you two wherever I can." The older mixed-blood tilted his head back and looked once more outside then stated "It seems like we arrived, Yuuri. Are you ready?"

The Soukukou shook his head "No. But we will proceed."

The wagon had not even halted before the Mazoku jumped out of it. Yuuri felt his heart start to beat more loudly in his ears. Each step inward the old building seemed to make the young man even more nervous, but also determined. His gaze drifted over the plush scarlet carpet, to the figurines they were walking by, over the white-blue walls and the high ceiling. It was a beautiful sight and many people of every age flitted through the corridors. The nobles strolled through yet another corridor when a seemingly young lady – who was probably around 98 years old – advanced to the group and asked the young king to follow her. The king bid his friends farewell and followed the woman. While walking silently Yuuri took in the garments the blue-haired female wore, they were whitish-blue like the surrounding walls and on her shoulder he had seen some crest. The woman had quite a rhythmic step, it reminded him of the military and the young king wondered if the female knew Gisela or some of his knights and guards. As he mulled over her relationships, the female turned around and pointed at a door next to them with the words "We have arrived, your majesty."

Yuuri blinked. If the blue-haired one had not pointed at the door he would have definitely went past it. The door was almost invisible with its whitish-blue colouring and plain exterior. She advised "Please go in your highness. A maid tends to all who come here for the ceremony; she will give you a robe and will explain the course of the event. If you wish for it, that is." The monarch nodded at the woman and answered "Alright. I will go in, thank you for guiding me here."

With these words he opened the door, stilled and almost slammed it shut. Inside he saw some sort of kindergarten. Yuuri felt his face warm once more like so often in the last days. The woman saw his reaction and laughed a little as she said "Don't worry your majesty. It is normal around here to let half-bloods and full-bloods share this moment on their sixteenth birthday. If you think about it, only on the day of the ceremony you see the real difference of human aging and that of demons. Today there should be about four other participants of the ceremony. One of them is also of mixed-heritage." She added encouraging.

The monarch nodded at her kind attempt to calm him and entered the room, closing it immediately after him, to keep the running children in the room. A chubby elderly woman with dark-brown hair and gentle honey-like eyes looked up from the small children she was attending to. If she had been human Yuuri guessed her about forty-five (in human years) and by the way she managed the energetic children dashing in the room that she probably had children of herself. "Come closer dear, I don't bite. You are the last one, so if you don't mind I will bring you next door to search for a robe for you. Oh, where are my manners! I have to apologize, with children running around, things always tend to be a little hectic and it's easy to forget to introduce oneself. My name is Rosemarie Maux, but please call me Rosemarie. Now please come along my dear." The youngster gave his agreement. As he went after the guiding female to an adjacent room, he gave a last glance over the three small children. When he entered the room next to the last, the first thing that caught his attention was that the entire room was one big changing room, with cabins and dozens of hat stands filled with white robes, the next thing he noticed was a young woman about his age and height standing in front of a big mirror. The light-green haired woman picked unhappily at her robe and scowled at the mirror. "Rosemarie, these robes are horrible, is there really not a single one that won't look like a fisher net on me?!" the girls exclaimed with a sulking voice. Then she turned around and her expression changed from an annoyed pout to open surprise when she saw the other newcomer "Oh, I am sorry. I did not want to snap at you your majesty!"

Yuuri answered tactfully "Don't apologize for having your nerves getting the better of you. Today you would have to be made of stone to not get edgy." From the corner of his eyes he saw how the maid nodded and hummed in agreement as she went through multiple robes. The gentle older female addressed the younger "I am sorry darling, but all robes are the same, so for a short moment you will have to bear wearing the formless and simple robe. Now my boy, please take this, I think I have found something that should fit you." The young female gave a sad sigh and the male took the offered robe and got into the closest changing room. He quickly exchanged his black uniform with the white loose plaid. As he moved a little in the robe, he felt exactly how loose and scratchy it felt. Yuuri had never worn a fisher-net, but somehow the raven-haired boy had the suspicion, that the resemblance the girl had mentioned wasn't so far from the truth. Then he exited and he joined the frustrated girl in front of the mirror.

The dark eyes roamed over his reflection in the mirror, taking in what he had become. His hair had grown at tad longer during the last month. Essentially he had wanted to grow it to the length of his 'older self', but it would probably take another few months till the tips of his hair touched his shoulder. His tan was almost completely gone due to the endless amount of paperwork in his sunshine-lacking office. The pale skin that was typical for Japanese was now showing and highlighted his black features. Yuuri was a little saddened about the loss, as it reminded the youngster of the sport he hadn't been able to partake in weeks, or has it been months? He decided that he also did not like the robe on his person. It really felt like wearing nothing, and it looked almost like a traditional European nightdress! It went only down to his knee and to the middle of his upper arm. For once he was happy that the skin of his body was smooch thanks to his demonic heritage. Otherwise he would look utterly ridiculous. Now he just looked like he got caught in some kind of prank. Why in gods(?) name did the Mazoku always wore dresses? Or dress-like garments? The young king groaned. The girl to his left gave an agreeing noise then walked stiffly out of the small room.

A crash next room alarmed the maid and she rushed to the source of the noise, leaving the alienated king alone to his thoughts.

After sensed seconds the maid returned and asked him to follow. Yuuri spluttered in surprise "What do you mean? I just came here and there were others present before I entered the room?!" The woman laughed lightly and answered that the participants were called after their last name. Rosemarie than picked something from a small closet on the other side of the changing room and handed whatever she found to the young man. "Please wear these sandals as well" the maid said, ignoring the unbelieving look thrown at her. Then she directed a question to the young man "Do you have your special item, or do need some help with it?" The king looked confused at first, but then remembered that today he had to exemplify his intended path with an object of his choice and he calmed considerably. "Yes Rosemarie. I do have it with me." the Soukukou replied, showing the signet ring on his finger. "Alright then. Let's head out." Rosemarie said smiling ushering the male out of the room, down yet another hallway and within seconds he stood in front of yet another closed door. This time, the door looked like it was made from pure silver. Shin Makoku's crest was imprinted over its entire surface. With shaking hands he opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was quite dark and Yuuri could faintly make out the silhouettes from the interior or the room – or better the lack of it. It seemed like the room was almost empty, besides the table and two further doors. The ground he walked on was dark and it was eerily silent. There was nothing but darkness, besides the cone of light in which he saw five man and woman sitting at a long sickle-like table. They all looked at him and the one in the centre gestured to the spot right in the middle of the moon-like table and maybe of the entire room. "Please step forward, your majesty. We have awaited you. I must confess we feel flattered to be your mentors for your ceremony. It is most admirable to have a youngster in front of us, who achieved so much in his short live." The man said solemnly. He was middle-aged and blessed with handsome features as well as matching golden hair and eyes. His voice was gentle but held power and authority.

Yuuri stepped forward to the spot in the middle. He eyed the five Mazoku who returned his curious look. Once standing the young king smiled and gave a nod uttering "I am ready. Please start." The blond man gave a small sign to his companions then he turned his head back to the double-black and said with a strong voice "We welcome you, Yuuri Shibuya. We welcome you not only in this place but also in a new yet old world. Today you have reached the age of sixteen and as is a custom in these lands each child has to make a decision on this special day." the man paused, then continued "Normally this ceremony is only a formality, but in your case, it holds special meaning."

The woman on the man's right took the word from him "Today Mr. Shibuya, you will have to decide whether you wish to adapt your life completely to that of Mazoku or if you wish to let everything be as it has always been. No one will judge you. None of us and no one outside of these walls." The red-headed woman was also middle-aged and she had a calm yet distant voice as she gave him the option of his future.

The blonde waited a moment then took the reigns of the conversations once more "To show us your intended future, please show us an item that you connect with it."

There came no more words and the king knew that now it was his time to speak. Günther had insisted that he practised his reply over and over. Back then he had been annoyed, but now he just felt grateful, to already have the answer at hand. Literally. He pulled the small ring from his finger and put it onto the table, right in front of the blonde man "The object I have chosen is my signet ring. It may look small, but it carries the burdens and responsibilities of this nation. This item carries the crest of our proud nation … and my name." Yuuri paused. His gaze went over each of the council man, before it returned to the face of the blonde "I am the king of this country and of the noble race residing in it. To be able to serve and guard at the utmost of my abilities, I wish for this new life. I want my life to be conformed to that of Mazoku."

The council man smiled at him and answered "So it may be, Mr. Shibuya."

And then the room was brightly lid, blending the double-black for a moment. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden change he could finally make out the entire room. It was a small area with round white walls decorated with various tableaus with scenes like the one he had just attended. The floor was scarlet and held the crest of country and was shining so much that the young man could see his reflection in it. The high richly decorated was reflected as well and gave the room an almost ethereal look.

The youngest of the council man stood up and said. "Please wait a moment, Mr. Shibuya. I will return shortly." Then he left to room using the door on the left. Yuuri used the moment to return the ring back to its place on his hand. The moment the ring had been placed on his finger the door flung open and the young man returned with a small silvery tray. On the tray Yuuri saw a richly decorated crystal-goblet with wing-like handle and three elegant legs.

The man held the beautiful goblet right in front of him and the king took hold of it. The small treasure was heavy and filled with a bubbling substance of light-greenish liquid. The 'Second Life-poison'. Before he could even lift the vessel to his face the blonde pronounced "Mr. Shibuya, before you drink the 'Second Life', please go inside to the room on your right. There are your friends and a medic waiting for you. … Now, all that we can do for you is to wish you luck and happiness in your future." Yuuri thanked him and the others and headed into the other room which looked like a sick bay with the white beds partly hidden by curtains and the even whiter walls.

The monarch marched into the room until he saw his friends sitting next to a doctor. The man stood up as he saw him approach with the goblet and gestured to the bed as he said "Welcome in our infirmary, your majesty. This safety measure only lasts for a few minutes until we are certain that you are stable. Then your companions will return you to the castle and take care of you. Now please drink when you are ready." The white-clad male gave off an aura of confidence and experience. An aura that reassured the still unpoisoned boy.

The king nodded lightly at the doctor then he lifted nervously the goblet and placed the rim of the glass at his lips. As the smell of the liquid reached his nose Yuuri had difficulties to not stop lifting the substance to his face. Tipping the vessel slightly he allowed the grotesque greenish gunk to go down his throat with hasty movements. As he downed the foul-tasting goo Yuuri found himself getting light-headed and the room started to spin, the more he drank of the slimy substance. Once the goblet was empty the doctor took it from the shaking hands of the young monarch and placed it on a night shelf. Then the king was guided to the bed.

Once seated Yuuri's befuddled mind could finally grasp the state his body was in. From his throat he could feel a coldness expand to the rest of his body, making it quiver. Yet he felt oddly hot, while his body shook from the intern coldness. Legs and arms turned slowly numb and hung limply at his sides, no longer reacting to his wishes. Luckily he was sitting; otherwise he would have crashed into the ground. His vision had started to spun even more and he could hear swoosh buzzing in his ears. The youngster was so detracted from his strange ordeal that he neither noticed the doctor's actions nor the worried expressions of his friends.

As his body trembled in numb pain the world blackened around the young king and the young man collapsed onto the sheets. Before his head hit the pillow, he was out cold.

- AN -

Another question: How did you like the reactions of the family or the ritual? Once I had found a point to start writing both were quite easy scenes, but that is precisely why I am worried I might have messed them up.

I love this ceremony. In the manga you can see how Anissina demonstrated on her 'special day' a meat mincing machine, in which she put in an entire pig. The poor mentor-guys looked sick and spooked. In real life they would all become vegeterians.

I always wanted a bathing scene so somehow the scene had managed to find its way into my story. Sorry if it is not for your liking, but sometimes stories really do have a mind of their own.

Some of you are probably confused about Conrad/Conrart's name. His real name is Conrart, but in the anime and manga he said, that Conrad was easier to pronounce (and to remember). So I will use both versions. People will refer to him as Conrad, whereas in the text passages he will go with his original name. Another naming issue is the origin of the names. Most names in the series were old German ones, so many of the visiting characters will have some of these as well. In fact I also think about naming the future baby that way, would you guys agree? Or would a Japanese name be better?


	3. Chapter 3

It feels like forever since I have updated the last time. Sorry about that but things have been busy around here. Hope you are not disappointed with this chapter.

**Chapter 3: The next Step**

The moment awareness returned to the king he felt like he had been seriously sick for weeks. His limbs weighed tons, but worse were his eye-lids. It was a constant fight to keep them open. But even when he did manage to keep them lifted he could hardly process what happened around him. All he knew was that his body was terribly heavy and that his skin itched and burned lightly. From time to time he could feel how someone forced some liquid down his throat - sometimes he could taste some kind of herbal tea, other times he knew it was some kind of soup. Yuuri knew his body currently depended on his friends. Especially on his fiancé, who seemed to constantly flitter in and out of his awareness. He knew all of his friends were worried and he wanted to wake up to reassure them. The feeling of being trapped in the own body and the helplessness was the worst in this state.

Just recently the double-black had finally really woken up. His body felt kind of weak and trembled slightly, but aside of the obvious shaking his condition has increased drastically. The dark eyes roamed over the familiarity of his bedroom and glanced at the window. The sun had long since set and the sky was dark with countless stars blinking through the glass of the window. Oddly it was unusual warm, just like the last days. Yuuri groaned. Inwardly he swore to himself that he would take a swim. This heat gave of the feeling of some kind of divine punishment and the young king did not like it all. In such circumstances it would normally be the best idea to just lie down and sleep till morning, yet the king was restless and bored of being tucked in like some small child. He glanced to his side and noticed that Wolfram was not with him. The monarch was confused, why would his fiancé be out of bed? The Mazoku was a very heavy sleeper and did not like to skip on his 'beauty-sleep'. Curiously he eyed the slightly open door and decided to find out exactly what was going on. With some difficulties he crawled out of the blankets and the bed. He stumbled to his feet and made slow steps through his room to ensure his legs would uphold his weight.

Once he was certain he would not collapse in the hallway and causes a scene, he turned to the door and silently stepped through the castle. Absentminded he knew he should have put on some clothes over his pyjama or at least slipped something over his feet, but right now he did not care. He needed to walk even if it was only for a small while. Besides, the cool stone under his warm flesh felt soothing and refreshing, especially tonight. The king was quite puzzled as he strode through the castle and didn't found a single soul. Even most of the guards seemed to be absent. Yuuri knew that something was wrong. He needed to talk with his friends and advisors. Pronto. The young monarch knew he did not have the strength to wander all night, but he had the feeling that the Mazoku were probably talking in the office of Gwendal or in his own, so he allowed his feet to carry him down the hall to the bureaus.

His guess had been right. After he had searched for his friends in Gwendal's office in vain, he headed to his own with small and silent steps. In the distance he saw that the door to his workplace was slightly open and a golden glow of light emitted of the room. Brightening the dark stone-walls to which the king had started to get used to. Blinking heavily the young king advanced to the door and rested for a moment next to it, giving his exhausted body a short break and to eardrops on his friends. The Soukukou trusted them blindly, but all of them were very protective of him and he was certain that they would try to ease his burden. It was a nice gesture and a very kind and tempting idea, but as a king he could not load his advisors with his worries and work - at least he couldn't do it forever. As he listened to the sizzling flames in the fire-place he could hear Wolframs harsh whisper "… And why brother can we not do it?! The problem would be solved in no time if we use the soldiers." Yuuri did not have to see his friend to know, that by now Wolfram's eyes were blazing and that he probably had started to pace.

Gwendal's cool and calm voice answered "Because most of the soldiers are currently needed in the city and in the surrounding lands, Wolfram. Thanks to these temperatures we have constantly fire breaking out, and it is not only that; thieves use our weakened state to steal whatever they can get their hands on. So 'no' Wolfram, we cannot send our troupes to the border, without causing some major disaster within our city."

"We should –" the double-black heard Conrart mutter, but blended the next words out of his shocked mind. Now Yuuri really felt weak and sick. Fire is breaking out in the city? Thieves terrorize his citizens? And something must be happening at the border of his kingdom… Exactly how long had he been out of it?! The monarch had heard enough and swung the door open the moment Günther tried to voice his opinion. Four startled pair of eyes were directed to the young king as he opened the door fully and walked with careful steps into the study. All of them looked surprised, but before anyone could really say anything Wolfram darted forward to steady him, by slipping carefully an arm around his waist. Most times, the double-black would fight such an embarrassing action, but his tired muscles were simply thankful that they could slump against a warm body. The blonde's movement itself was hesitant and light. It was made in the same manner one would advance to a wounded wild animal … or to a weakened, unstable and poisoned fiancé. Did he really look this bad? Yuuri inwardly winced at the resemblance and took in the sight in front of him.

The three sons of the late demon queen and his teacher stood in front of the fire-place in the corner of the room. All of them were fully clothed and the young king had the suspicion that none of them had some shut-eye for quite a while. The men looked as exhausted as he felt and the double-black sympathized with them. Yuuri felt the shaking in his legs increase as his eyes landed on a free armchair and he was grateful for the worried blonde holding most of his weight by now. The dark-haired male straightened himself up as he felt Wolfram piloting him to the open chair. Reluctantly he strode to take the open seat and glanced at the other men present. From close up they looked even worse. The young king wondered for a moment exactly what kind of impression he gave them. Probably not the best.

Yuuri gave them a small smile and addressed his concern without fanfare "Exactly what have I missed? What has all of you ran so … well ragged?"

The others looked at each other, not certain how much they should say to their ill king and friend, until Conrart broke the silent staring match. "Your majesty, we have quite a predicament caused by the weather. You see, due to the dry and hot summer, we have wildfires breaking out almost everyday and the people are suffering from the temperatures. Especially the old, sick and the weaker subjects are affected by the terribly heat. The clinics are filled to the brim with patients, but it is nowhere enough." the soldier said with a tired expression on his face.

Wolfram to his left touched his shoulder and continued where his brother had left off "That's not the worst. Dealing with some heat-wave wouldn't cause so much trouble; it is the thieves and bandits who cause us headaches. They are quite active and we had to triple the patrols to get the situation under control. But now we are lacking soldiers and at the borders where a new group of those lowlifes affiliated. These men have already destroyed a village and we know that they will attack the next one in about two days. We can stop their actions but for that we need more men."

Yuuri nodded in understanding. He had long since learned that there was hardly ever only a single problem. His eyes fell on Günther who was unusual tight-lipped "Günther, what is on your mind? Please share your thoughts with us."

The long-haired male's lips curled in a tired smile and he sad warily "There is another matter we should consider. There is a race in our kingdom that is currently breeding and it is attracted to warmer regions during their heat and breeding-circles." The lavender-haired man sighed than he turned his distant eyes to Yuuri and explained "It is very likely that if this heat continues, we will not only have humans or demons breathe down our neck. I am most worried that the dragons will there will be chaos. More than ever due to the fact that dragons are during these times very aggressive and possessive of their territory and young." The scholar finished.

The five men were silent. This was just what they needed. Additionally to the crime level and the weather came now twenty feet tall fire-breathing lizards. Yuuri grimaced at the memory of Poochi as he 'visited' the castle the last time. The dragon had been careful – more or less - and yet he had disassembled half the roof with his talons and tail. Exactly what would happen if not one cautious dragon but a dozen rampant reptiles would visit? They would probably have to rebuild the castle and the city from point zero ... At least that way he would get rid of these small alleys, the young king mused absentminded.

The young monarch cleared his throat and stated "In the end it doesn't matter. We will do what we can. Well… Ah I know. What I can do is summon rain with my flute. Even if my magic is still drained it should be more than powerful enough to provide for the instrument. That way we will get the out-breaking fire under control and regain some of our troops. If we are lucky it might even chill the weather down by some degrees." The young king stopped his small monologue deep in thought. He went over further actions they could take, but his exhausted mind could hardly concentrate anymore. "Günther do you have any idea what kind of precautions we should take concerning the dragons?" the double-black asked, his left hand running through his hair. God he was tired.

The lavender-haired male thought a while before he said slowly "Sadly no. There is not much we could do to prevent them from residing in our cities. If they start approaching we should evacuate the people and use water-type magic to chase them away. But otherwise I have no idea what kind of measures we should take." Günther placed his hands on the piled working place and waited for a moment before he threw a question at the unprepared Soukukou "At least we now have an option. But I am anxious, are you certain you can use magic in your current state? You have been unconscious for days and to be bluntly - you look like you shouldn't have left the bed."

It was crude alright, but it was not meant to be rude. The double-black saw the concern practically sitting on his teacher's shoulders, weighing them down with worry. Yet Yuuri couldn't help himself as he frowned a little darkly, but managed to answer with a neutral tone that betrayed his tiredness "I am well enough. Tomorrow I will summon rain and then we will gather some soldiers and head out." The dark eyes of the king wandered over the faces of the four other men daring them to say otherwise.

Of course the one ignoring his silent order was Wolfram when he said "We don't have much of a choice in the matter, so we will have to try to influence the weather." Then the green eyes turned to Yuuri and narrowed. With his hands stemmed to his hips the blonde exclaimed "Now please tell us, Yuuri. What do you mean with '_we_ will head out'? Yuuri, you will not come! You are sick and need your rest." The bratty prince crossed his arms and looked determined down on his fiancé.

The youngest in the room felt his eye twitch at his betrothed words. He glanced at the other males and saw that some of them were thinking along the same lines. Except for Gwendal, that is. The tall man was unreadable and would hopefully bend to his wishes. With small difficulties he stood up and replied "I will not stay behind. My health is not that bad and I know I can be of help. Or have you already forgotten that one time, where one of our towns close to the border had been attacked by humans?" Yuuri could see that the older guys were starting to ponder over his words, but none of them looked really convinced. That was one of the moments where he had to use his trump card. "Besides, being trapped here will not improve my state if all I do is worry. I will go to the border and check for myself, you can take me along and keep an eye on me, or I will go by myself." The double-black knew it was childish and selfish of him to corner his friends like this, but he had no other choice. He wanted to help the others and he wanted to make certain that they did not endanger themselves.

Corart sniggered at his words and even Gwendals lips twitched a little upwards. Günther looked worried but pleased nonetheless and the spoiled prince merely shook his head muttering things like 'typical wimp' or 'going soft' under his breath.

The scholar suggested taking Gisela along the ride, but the young king quickly shot that option down with the words that the healer was needed in the palace or better in the city if their subjects were sick.

It was Gwendal, who used that moment to disrupt the bantering "At least we can act, so we will go with it. Wolfram, please bring his majesty to your shared room and make certain he rests for a while. Midday tomorrow we will try to summon rain and then we will prepare for the trip to the village. Now Conrad please come and tell me-"

The dark-haired youngster did not hear what else was said due to a blond prince dragging him out of the room with the words "You heard what brother said, so let's go." Stumbling after his fiancé Yuuri quickly realized that his friends were again trying to help him rule his country. It was embarrassing. With a sharp jerk the double-black tried to free his hand, but the blond had already expected the movement and kept the other's wrist firmly in his hand. "Stop that wimp. You are in no condition to run around the castle or handle state affairs. So cease the squirming and walk." the brat ordered and dragged the other another few steps to clarify his point.

Yuuri could feel his cheeks getting warm. Wolfram knew what happened inside him and he was able to read him like a book. It was both a conforming as well as scaring thought. With a small pout the double-black let himself be hauled through the corridors back to their room.

Once inside Wolfram practically threw his fiancé on the layers of the bed. Afterwards he went to the cupboard to get his nightwear. Yuuri decided to call it a night since he could hardly see the bed he was sitting on and his body felt awfully sluggish. With some difficulties he crawled under the blankets and snuggled into his cushion. A moment later he felt the bed dip. Lifting his head the dark-eyed boy saw the blonde's shadow scramble over the blankets to his side of the bed. The temperamental male did not even say good-night when he plopped himself down and closed his eyes, facing away from the other. The young monarch merely raised an eyebrow at the other's antics. He knew the other was either angry or pouting. Why the fire-wielder had one of his moments the younger had a guess.

Lifting himself up once more from the bed, the double-black inched closer to the other and laid down behind him. The change of positions was ignored by the older male. Then Yuuri pondered how he should act to get the other to forgive him for his 'request' and decided to use a physical action for two reasons. The first and most obvious was that the prince did took positive to physical contact and secondly because he had to get used to it anyway. With hot cheeks the young man propped on his elbow, leaning over he placed a light kiss on the others cheek. He could feel the other's body going rigid at the action. In his embarrassment Yuuri pulled back and placed his forehead quickly against the others upper back. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the others torso and squeezed lightly. For a moment he could hear nothing but his own heart beat, then he mumbled in the other's neck "I am sorry Wolf. I know I would be better off in the castle, but I want to help you guys and I wish to make certain nothing serious happens to all of you. So please don't be mad at me."

The blonde exhaled rather loudly and turned around in the embrace. His emerald eyes shone lightly in the darkness. Beside the bright green orbs Yuuri could hardly see the others face, but he knew the other was smiling slightly. Wolfram spoke softly that it was alright. Then the prince placed his hands around the others waist and pulled him in a more personal embrace, when he placed his head in the young king's neck, just like the night before. Sensing the other breathe against his skin, the younger shivered slightly. The young monarch was glad it was so dark and the other could not see his red face. When he relaxed a little he could feel Wolfram place a soft kiss on his skin muttering "I know you are worried about us, but so do we feel about you. I know do. We are worried about you, but I am also aware that you are probably right. But having you run around outside while you can hardly walk straight from your study to our room is … unreasonable. So please bear with me for a moment. Please, promise me to stay close to me the moment we leave the castle." There was a small pause, then the prince lifted his head from his spot on the other's neck and raised his gaze to meet the others. "Promise me, to stay close to us and to not seek out danger."

Yuuri groaned lightly at being treated like some fragile flower, but he knew he would not get around this promise. His dark orbs locked with the emerald-like eyes in front of him and he promised to stay out of danger as well as he could and to stay close to their group.

Little did he know, that exactly this promise would be impossible to keep in the coming days and weeks.

- AN -

All of you agreed to give the child an old-German name. I've looked some up and found various good names. My favorites are: Freya, Hedwig, Hildegard (Hilda for short), Lorelei, Leonore and Luise. Lovely don't you agree? As you can see all names are female and yes the babe will be female as well, because in almost all other stories the children are male. Call it justice or balance, either way the main focus is on our favorite couple, so it will not make much of a difference.

Does anyone of you remember the name of the magical flute? I think I have forgotten it.

Again thanks a lot to those who reviewed and commented to my story. I love you guys. Until next time.


	4. Chapter 4

Again thanks a lot to those who reviewed and commented to my story. I love you guys! Compliments, critics or the usual bantering, it doesn't matter. Each review is dear to me.

It is a lot of fun to write for you and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I created it. Remember to vote for a name (Freya, Hedwig, Hildegard, Lorelei, Leonore or Luise). While we are at names, are you guys certain that the demonic flute doesn't have a name? I am quite convinced that it had one in the anime.

**Chapter 4: Farnheim, sweet Farnheim**

The morning was hectic and ended just as swift as it came and right after breakfast the young king escaped to a remote balcony to start the first part of the plan. Without wasting a moment he placed the embouchure of the demon flute to his lips and started to play. In the beginning the tune was soft, but rose with each new note until it filled the castle. The melody was simple in itself but full of life and joy. Yuuri felt the pull of the demon flute, felt the ebbing of his power, but just like the first times it was difficult to stop the rhythm. It was so easy to get lost in his thoughts and in the magical tunes, so simple to blend out the world and all his worries. The clear blue sky darkened and the soft rumbling of thunder and the promise of rain added their own accent to the melody, giving the song a melancholy nature. The young king did not even realize the changes like the heavy clouds above him and he neither grasped the fact that he was soaked to the skin even before he finished the first part.

The double-black was snapped out of his thoughts the moment a warm hand and a towel wrapped around his neck and pulled him gently behind the glass-doors. After a moment of being without his sense of orientation Yuuri recognized Wolframs face. He turned his head to the window and when he saw the dark clouds and the fat drops of water, he smiled radiantly to the fire-user. Wolfram returned the gesture, but ushered the double-black back to their room to finish the last preparation for their departure and to get some dry clothes.

An hour later the nobles made their way to the stables. The rain had subdued and only few drops kept hitting the ground. Yuuri wore his usual brown contact lenses and had dyed his hair reddish-brown. As always the double-black was quite unhappy to leave without his original look, but in this one case his advisors did not bend. It was necessary, but still it felt kind of wrong to hide from his subjects. Even if part of them knew his features by heart by now.

He took Ao's reins and pulled the gentle mare to the gate. With only minimal difficulties he mounted the horse and fell into a swift gallop along with his betrothed and Conrart. A troop of soldier trailed in a respectful but short distance behind them. The company was rather small but at least skilled in combat and loyal. Some of these men belonged to Sir Voltaire, but it had been decided to let them accompany their king rather then to leave them behind along with their captain.

From the nobles Gwendal and Günther had been elected to stay behind in case of emergencies and to hold court. Yuuri was glad to have evaded this ungrateful task. The young king was just and always strode for the best of his subjects, but in trials all those involved seemed to leave with a sour mood if things turned out rather well. It would probably take more time to get used to it.

In small groups the cavalry rode into the capital to get supplies and to give new orders to the stationed soldiers. While being in the city, Yuuri listened more than once about his nearing wedding with Wolfram. The citizens were happy and they already planned what they would do on the day of the event. The Soukukou did not know how to feel - he was glad, excited, hopeful and yet scared. Sure he had improved greatly when it came to dealing with the ex-prince and he had also learnt to touch and be touched by him. For heavens sake, they had kissed shyly after waking up this morning, but he still felt like some virgin offered to the gods. Yuuri felt his face heat up at the thought. The virgin part was true. The double-black started to wonder if the blush on his face had started to become a permanent feature by now. Murata would never let him live it down if it had. Wolfram on the other hand was for once obvious and seemed to revel in the gossip. The Mazoku-prince was cheerful no matter how much the merchants wanted for their goods. Yuuri guessed that the blonde was so far gone that he did not notice that half of their supplies were not to the spoiled prince's usual taste. The young king was smart enough to keep his mouth closed.

When the first citizens started to have lunch, the demons left the capital and rode in the direction of the nearest north-eastern border. It would only take half a day if they made haste. It would definitely not be an enjoyable ride, but at least they would have time to prepare for battle once they arrived.

Yuuri watched how the scenery swam by as he rode over the small hills and plains, bypassing two farms and a small town. Humans could say whatever they wanted, Shin Makoku was a gem and even now in times of crisis it held itself up full of pride and dignity. In fact the country seemed radiant. Especially since his ceremony, now he felt as if everything around him was more alive than it had been in the past. He could sense the magical processes rather than getting merely a hunch. Now he felt how his magic circulated in his body, it felt foreign but familiar. The feeling reminded Yuuri about lovers in these sap stories, who were parted for decades just to meet each other again. Granted, it was but a vague description for what he experienced, but the double-black could not think of another more fitting comparison. It was a part of him, had always been, but he hadn't been aware of that fact until he woke from his fever. Now he intended to take full use of his powers and once they made it back to the castle he would take some magic lessons to strengthen his magic. He wanted to find his limits and to strenghten them. Maybe he could get Wolfram to teach him more about magic. The green-eyed beauty was talented and when it came to the young king he had the patience of a saint. Just the temper was that of an edgy bull.

But before he indulged himself in his studies he would have to go through some records. The double-black had told no one, but he had sensed something off in the direction they were heading to. It was not the weather – which had taken tropical dimensions, but something else. It felt like a call, as if something was about to happen and somehow he knew he had to make it there in time. The pull was not addressed to him; it was more like a wild call into the world. Those who were able to hear should come, that was what it felt like, what the young king understood with his feelings alone, even if his mind did not. But why he was aware of this, he did not know and that made him nervous. The intenseness of the pull increased slowly with each hour and soon he would find out exactly what was going on. The Soukukou did not utter a single word to the blonde, who rode next to him. Wolfram has always been very protective of him and once he would learn about the new unknown they were heading to, he would immediately order the closest soldiers to bring the double-black into the next village and to guard/babysit him.

Time passed and Yuuri was sore from riding for hours and once the light faded, he experienced his first outdoor manoeuvre in the army. The cavalry had ridden through a forest when the sun had started to set. The dim light of the moon was hardly enough to illuminate the path they were following, but the soldiers did not seem to mind. When the light disappeared completely within in the roof of the forest, the soldiers also did not stop, but merely kept a slower pace. They used small red torches, which casted deep shadows along their way. Yuuri could only the see the pavement and was glad that his mare was so well trained. All horses seemed to cope well with the darkness just like their riders. Especially Ao seemed more alive, when she was hidden within the darkness.

The double-black did not know for how long the group rode through the darkness. Besides the tramping of the hoofs nothing could be heard. Even his own breathing and heartbeat seemed to have tuned down until he could no longer hear himself. It truly felt like they were alone in the world. The double-blacks eyes scanned over what he could make out of the other riders. Wolfram still rode dutifully next to him and caught his glance. He smiled and mouthed 'not long' to the younger male. Yuuri understood. And it seemed like the blonde was proved right not much later. The trail seemed to get broader and the number of trees receded. Yuuri could hear some animals far behind him and then the soldiers broke through the coppice and into the open field. The travellers stopped to survey the area then tore onward.

In the distance Yuuri could see the village. It was called Farnheim and was pretty famous for their healers, their cooks as well as various spices. It was placed within a small man-made forest and was a popular travel destination for vacations. Within the black shadows of the trees multi-coloured light seemed to float. The lights were soft and turned the secluded but rich village into an ethereal haven for weary travellers and sick alike. Hundreds of small gardens and cute little cottages seemed to stretch into all directions and only added to the peaceful appearance. What seemed a little out of place were the four small mansions in light-blue colouring, one at the centre of the village and the others surrounding it and the gardens.

The soldiers rode without fanfare along the gardens onto the main-street of the village. They slowed their horses and trotted into the dwelling of healers. Once they entered Farnheim Yuuri was not the only one mesmerized by its beauty and elegance. Among the soldiers were many who had never laid eyes on this place and were amazed by the sheer feel of it. Even the proud Wolfram could not help himself and sighed longingly at the atmosphere. Conrart merely smiled pleased and ordered to dismount and to walk on foot the remaining distance. The smell surrounding them was light and sweet and reminded the double-black of the palace gardens. He felt immediately at home. The colourful flecks of light turned to out to be glass-lanterns in hundreds of soft colours. The people that greeted them along the way wore longer robes in matching soft colours. The few patients that were still out taking a walk all wore pure white robes, that reminded the double-black painfully on his 'half-dress' from his ceremony.

Ulrike herself was supposed to come from this village and it did not surprise Yuuri in the least. These people were not soldiers; their eyes shimmered with kindness and knowledge just like those of the shrine-maiden. The moment the trained men made it to the inn they were smothered with attention. The people lived secluded and were curious about any small change that may have occurred in the world. They hungered for gossip and some of the soldiers were more than happy to let themselves be treated to some snacks and to a conversation. Especially for their captain had not given them orders to keep to themselves. Conrart's hand landed on the royal couple's shoulders and he directed them quickly in the direction of the house when a clear and loud voice flashed through the murmurs of the soldiers and the citizens with a single name.

"Conrad!" The group of healers and farmers parted and revealed a woman at the end of her forties. Her hair was an intense pink and braided down to her waist and in her slightly aged eyes swam merriment and wisdom alike. "Conrad" she repeated and strode towards the group of travellers in swift and determined steps, before throwing her hands around the tall man's waist. Even on her tiptoes she barely reached Conrat's chin, but when her arms closed around the soldier, Yuuri could see the tall man being lifted up a little. The fact that something in his body seemed to crunch at the attention did not seem to faze Conrart, while some of the soldiers looked a little freaked out.

"It's nice to see you again Marianna. You haven't changed at all." The brown-haired half-demon said once his feet were back on solid ground.

"You haven't either. I told you to call me Mari. I'm not old enough to be in need of honorific and I do not like the full-name basis." She answered, a wide smile dancing over her features. The young king's eyes shifted over her form, taking in the kind of person she was and judging her as much as he could. The female's behaviour was good-natured, but her strong eyes, the noble clothing in light-blue and her natural authority displayed that she was highly respected in this area.

The elderly female's attention shifted from the visitors to something behind them. She tip-toed lightly and her eyes scanned over the mass of heads hovering in front of her, when she spotted the inn-keeper. "Gerhard, these soldiers are my guests. I asked for their assistance due to the bandits. Make certain they won't regret coming to us, the bill is on me" she shouted with amusement. Her words were rewarded by cheers by the exhausted soldiers and without delay the men swarmed the tavern. Many of the villagers followed their example, to giddy to continue whatever they were doing before the sudden visit.

Gerhard barked for some of his children to gather the horses and to bring them into the stables and before long the troops and the horses were gone from sight. Swallowed by the night, and the happy chattering filling the air. The only ones remaining were Yuuri, Wolfram, Conrart and Marianna. The light-grey eyes of the energetic female seemed to search in their faces before she nodded to herself. When she continued her voice was more neutral but still had a happy edge to it. She asked them to follow her to her place and to keep a low profile, to not disrupt the sick's rest.

As they treaded deeper into the village Yuuri took in the general situation of the village. He had read about it, but seeing it was definitely different from being told or reading about it in some old scroll. But no matter how much he focused on the surroundings he could not ignore the eyes he felt on his person. The young king was aware that his guide kept throwing glances in his direction. The double-black was certain that the female didn't want to harm him, but it was a little annoying to be eyed like some animal in a circus. The fact that the feeling had increased and then just disappeared was not helping his mood. The youngster hardly realized how they entered a rather large house, with tiny carvings in the wooden doors and light-blue dots painted on the walls.

Marianna opened the door and invited them all in. The inside was decorated simple, but lovingly. The furniture was covered with vases and baskets full of flowers and herbs, while the ground was covered with a soft carpet - yet again with a blue colouring. It seemed to be the theme for the entire house – or village. When Marianna closed the door behind them a man entered the room.

"Mari! About time ye made it back. I already thought ye we-" his words stopped when he spotted their guests. The man who had come out from the shadows reminded Yuuri a little of these models found in magazines, where man presented the fashion for the next season and for the bureaus. The only difference was his choice of clothing and the fact that he looked as if he had fallen head first in a bush. The huge male did not really match with the tiny woman, especially if one considered their age. But if they were happy no one should intrude.

"Hush Glenn, it's not that late. Beside what has happened to you? Were you asked to watch the children?" the woman laughed.

With slight irritation he answered that one of horses got spooked and managed to make it for a run, only to get stuck in some bushes. He was the only one around with enough strength to pull the animal out of its prison. Once he finished talking about his little adventure he asked if the visitors were the soldiers, they had been expecting.

Marianna's eyes wandered from the dishevelled man to her guests. Then she introduced them to each other "Corad, this tall beauty is my husband Glenn. Glenn, this is an old friend of mine. His name is Conrart. I have told you about my time in the temple, where I had met him." She paused and looked into the two younger's faces, before she continued "Now let's see, this young blonde should be his brother Wolfram and if I am not mistaken then the other boy should be his majesty Yuuri."

Glenn's smoke-like eyes widened until they seemed to reach the roots of his red hair in surprise. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he snapped himself out of it with a small and clumsy bow and a murmured "Welcome". He seemed to be shy, even if he was huge like a bear and looked like a young businessman.

He was not the only one caught off guard. Yuuri had a similar reaction - his was merely more controlled. Meanwhile Wolfram was busy reaching for his sword, but was subdued by a stern glance from his brother. The blonde seemed to pout, before he crossed his arms and looked warily from his brother to Marianna. His body half covering Yuuri's slim form.

It was Conrart, who mouthed what probably everyone thought "How would you know my little brother or his majesty, Mari? You have never met them and I've never shown you pictures."

Marianna waved him off with the words "True, but I have treated Lady Cherie many years ago. It's hard to forget somebody like her and I have heard that her son Wolfram looked strikingly like her." Inwardly Yuuri agreed with the tiny woman. Then she continued "The fact that he came here with you, unlike the other soldier, is also proof enough for me. As for the young king, well it was merely a guess, but I am convinced to be right. He has the right age and looks quite cute. Furthermore he is accompanied by two great warriors and last but not least he has managed to get himself involved in quite the tricky situation. Shin Makoku's king is quite famous for his 'reckless travelling'. You see, even we, who live so secluded, know some gossip. Have I forgotten something?" she asked slyly and with a big smile on her lips.

Yuuri smiled sheepishly and answered "I think you mentioned everything, but I am a little surprised by what people seem to remember about me." It earned him a soft laugh from the energetic pinkette. Glenn also chuckled a little, it seemed like he had also heard of his common-known description. The little giant said simply "It's nothing to be ashamed of your Majesty. Shin Makoku probably has the greatest king in the world and we take great pride in this little detail."

"Told you it would be better for you to stay at home. How about this: The next time the troops work incognito you will stay at the castle." Wolfram whispered annoyed to his future-husband. Yuuri choose to not reply to the blonds 'suggestion'. Conrart seemed to have heard his brother's words and his smile brightened lightly before he asked for what they had come to this building.

Surprisingly it was Glenn who supplied them with an answer. "You have probably heard that soon the bandits will come here. And from past events we are certain that they have a source of information within our village. We fear that some of our patients are connected with these lowlifes. That is why none of you three, especially you your Majesty, should stay at a public place for too long. It would be best if you stayed with us. We have some spare rooms we would like to offer you for your stay."

"What makes you think that there are bandits among your patient? Couldn't it be a mere coincidence?" Yuuri voiced his doubt.

Marianne shook her head. Her voice was sober and neutral when she muttered "Sadly its not. About a week ago things started harmlessly. A single bandit came and stole some goods from one of our travelling merchants. Then the next day three of them appeared and assaulted a wealthy young man. For some reason they knew that this man was one of our regulars and which route he preferred when coming here. And yesterday, some of our healers including myself were robbed, when we went out collecting herbs in the surrounding lands. You must know that our collecting grounds are always in different places, so to find us this easily they had to know where we were beforehand." the woman's eyes lost some of their light and made her look her actual age. She faced Conrart when she said the next words "None of these events were enjoyable, but three days ago we started to get really scared. A village far in the east of here send us a letter via pigeon. They wrote that a large group of unidentified armed men were heading in our direction. Up to this moment all raids happened in the surrounding lands, but if they decide to attack us our city will be overrun. Those who could leave have done so, but many of us do not wish or are unable to leave this place. That is why we are hoping for your assistance in this stressful summer."

Conrart nodded in understanding and also the two younger had grasped how dire the situation was. Farnheim was a place created for the sick. There were no soldiers to protect this place and no borders to shield it against any attack. Additionally the inhabitants were normally spared from most if not all attacks and were overstrained with the situation. Conrarts eyes hardened when he said "We will receive these criminals in a fitting manner and protect your patients."

Wolfram added "And while we wait for them, we will scan the area and dig out the thieves that should have their base somewhere around here."

Yuuri finished their little speech "I've got no objections, but we will need your support for we have little time and these lands are unfamiliar to us."

The pair looked relieved and immediately gave their consent. Glenn left and returned later with a small map and together they made plans for the coming days.

- AN -

You know, using these old German names sure is very enjoyable. This story in general is a lot of fun to write. Especially these minor characters have wormed their way into my heart ^^

Personally I already think of "To Cherish" as a very good story (is this arrogance?) and I try to write it in a way that should please many of the fans/you.

Just so you know Farnheim is not part of the original series. I created the village and all inhabitants for myself and to experiment a little.


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